Lamp-heated vaporizer



Aug. 28, 1956 M. v. IKE 2,761,055

LAMP-HEATED VAPORIZER Filed June 10, 1953 INVENTOR MHLCOME VAN [HEATTORNEY nited States I aterrt P "ice 236L055 Patented Aug. 28, 1956portion 7" opposite its screw base 7, and the lamp filament forenergizing to incandescence as a source of light and heat is disposedcentrally of the bulb por- 2,761,055

LAMP-HEATED VAPORIZER Malcome Van Ike, North Hollywood, Calif.Application June 10, 1953, Serial No. 360,735 4 Claims. (Cl. 219-45) Theinvention relates to a lamp-heated vaporizer unit for evaporatingvarious volatile materials.

The general object of the invention is to provide aparticularly simpleand eifective vaporizer unit arranged for its supported mounting on aheat-providing electric lamp having its bulb extending upwardly from asupporting base.

Another object is to provide a vaporizer unit which is particularlyadapted for the optional delivery of vapors therefrom through a tube toa discharge point spaced from the vaporizer.

A further object is to prov de a vaporizer unit of the characterdescribed having means below the vaporizing container thereof forshading a supporting lamp bulb while the unit is held in operativeposition by the bulb.

A further object is to provide an improved lampmouuted vaporizer unit ofsolely ceramic structure.

A more specific object is to provide a vaporizer unit which is equallyadapted for providing the vapors of such materials as medicaments ordeodorants or perfumes or disinfectants or insecticides, with or withoutwater vapor.

A further specific object is to provide a vaporizing unit of thecharacter described which is particularly adapted and arranged for thedirect delivery of fumes of ,a volatile medicament ,to a nostril .or themouth of a person.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some ofwhich, with the foregoing, will he set forth or be apparent in thefollowing description of a typical embodiment thereof, and in theaccompanying drawings, in which,

Figure l is an elevation showing a vaporizer unit embodying the presentfeatures of invention mounted .on a stand-supported electric lamp .bulband provided with a delivery tube for conveying the generated vapor to.a persons nostril or mouth.

Figure 2 is an axial section of the unit taken at the line 2-2 in Figure.1, .an attaching nipple for the vaporconveying tube being shown asaxially disconnected from the unit.

Figure 3 is an axial section through molded ceramic elements which areintegrall and coaxially connected'to provide the unit.

Figure 4 is a partially sectional plan view of the unit taken on thebroken line 4 4 in Figure 2.

As particularly illustrated in Figure l, a vaporizer unit 6 embodyingthe features of my invention is shown as mounted on a more or less,globate {electric lamp .bulb 7 which extends upwardly with respect to ascrew base portion 7 thereof which is engagedin a usual supporting lampsocket 8, the latter being particularly .shown as provided at the top ofa supporting stand 9 arranged for its supported disposal on a table 201'floor. The present stand 9 comprises a stem 9' extending from a base 9and represents other types .of socket support, suchas a light fixture of.the wall-fnracket type. .As is usual in the structure of incandescentlamp bulb the present bulb 7 has a generally ,globate ,form at ,its endfrom the edge .of the top wall to the base By particular reference tothe showings of Figures 1 and 2, it will be noted that a present unit 6essentially comprises a tubular side wall 11 having its space inter.-mediately divided by a cross-partition 12 providing space portions 13and 14 above and below it. The lower space portion 14 is open at itsbottom, while the upper space portion 13 is defined beneath a top Wall15 which provides a discharge opening 16 for the cavity of the space 13axially of the unit, and said opening is preferably defined through anupwardly extending tubular collar 17 providing a discharge spout fromthe cavity. A fume delivery tube 19 may be provided for attachment atthe collar 17, said tube being shown as provided with a nipple end 19 ofresilient material for its sealed gripping of the collar, and with asuitable discharge nozzle 1 at its other end. For a purpose to behereinafter brought out, a breather hole or vent 18 is provided throughthe top wall 15 adjacent an edge point, thereof, it being noted that thewall 14 tapers conically upwardly of the collar 17". I

The specific structure of the present vaporizer unit 6 is particularlyadapted for its production as a unitary ceramic product which comprisespremolded upper and lower hollow elements 21 and 31 of generallycylindrical outline which are subsequently'fixed together in a coaxialrelation to provide the unit. The top portion or element 21 of the unit6 provides the container space 13 in which a charge M of a chosenvolatile material is to be heated for its vaporizing, and has, per se, atubular side wall 22 providing a bore or inner face 23 of circular crosssection, a bottom wall 24, and the wall 15 defining the top of thecontainer space 13 and providing the discharge and vent openings 16 and18. The lower element 31 has, per se, a side Wall 32 having a bore orinner face 33 of circular cross section, is open at its bottom, and isprovided with a top wall 34 having an upper face 35 which is disposedopposite and adjacent the under face 25 of the bottom wall 24 when theelements 21 and 31 are unitarily attached to provide the unit 6. Interms of an assembled unit 6, it will be understood that the side wall11 thereof comprises the combination of the coaxial side walls 22 and 32 of the elements 2.1 and 31, and that the partition 12 of the unit isprovided as comprising the combination of the bottom end wall 24 .of thetop element 21 and the top end wall 34 of the bottom element 31 andtransversely divides the space of the side wall 11 (22-32) into thecontainer space 13 for the material M and the receiving space 14 for aSupporting lamp bulb 7.

The bottom wall 34 of the present lower element 31 is generallyconcavo-convex with respect to the plane of its edge at its side wall 32and has its under face 36 concave and complementary to the upper outerface portion of the globe portion '7" for its more-or-less fitted andfully supported seating on the upper end of a light bulb 7 of the sizeto be used with the unit While the inner face 33 of the side wall 32cooperates with the side of the bulb to maintain an upright disposal ofthe unit. The bottom wall 24 of the upper element 21 has its under face'25 complementary to the upper face 35 of the top wall 24 of the element31 whereby to provide for a fitted and centered seating of the wall 24-upon the wall 34. For retaining the element 21 in a seated position uponthe element 31 in unitary association there .with, said elements areintegrally fixed together at their mutual contact areas; in practice, ithas generally been found convenient and satisfactory to permanently bondthe elements together by means of the ceramic glazing material when aunitary assembly of the elements is glazed by firing the same in awell-known manner. In connecting the elements 21 and 31 by the glazingprocess, the glaze-providing material is preferably applied andfittingly squeezed between the opposed faces 25 and 35 of the respectivewalls 24 and 34 of the elements, with the uniform distribution of theglazing material between said faces being facilitated by providing anopening 37 through the wall 34 centrally thereof. While a permanentfixing together of the elements 21 and 31 is presently disclosed, itwill be understood that these elements might be unitarily fixed togetherby a releasable means, whereby different elements 21 might becooperatively associated with the same element 31, and vice versa.

The provision of the disclosed vaporizer unit 6 as comprising a unitaryassociation of the two pre-molded elements 21 and 31 of ceramic materialis understood to facilitate the production of the unit parts by theappropriate shaping and molding processes. Since a ceramic material is arelatively poor conductor of heat as compared with metal, the presentunit may not become unduly hot at its outside surfaces, yet provides fora direct heat transfer by conduction through the partition 12 (243 3)from the energized supporting lamp bulb 7 to the material M in theevaporation space 13. A further advantage of the use of solely anon-metallic material to provide the present unit lies in the fact thatsuch a material, and particularly a glazed ceramic material, is notsubject to corrosion or chemical reaction or a permanent coating withwhatever water and/or vaporizable material is placed in its cavity. Byproviding for the substantially full enclosure of the luminous portion7" of a supporting and heating lamp bulb 7 within the lower unit space14, the energy initially intercepted therein as light is largelyconverted into heat as an energ -conservation means respecting the useof the lamp as a heat source. Also, the lower unit portion 31, whileoperating as a positioning base means of the unit, is arranged to alsofunction as a hood which shades the lamp against a lateral radiation oflight from it, whereby side light glare is avoided and the hooded lampmay, per se, function as a night light while generating fumes.

In the use of the present vaporizer, the charge M of volatile materialmay comprise water alone, or water in which an appropriate volatilematerial has been placed; the latter may, for instance, comprise avolatile oil which is non-miscible with water and provides a film on topof the water in the space 13. The charge M is introduced into the space13 through the top opening 16 provided by the collar 17; Fi ure 2indicates the use of a dropper D for introducing all or a part of aliquid charge M into the vaporizing space 13 through the collar 17. Thevaporizable material M provided in the vaporizing space 13 comprises asource of a vapor which is appropriate to the purpose to which thevapors from the unit are to be put; thus a charge M may include orcomprise a material for heating to provide medicament or deodorant orperfuming or disinfectant or insecticidal fumes. When the charge Mcomprises water alone, the present unit serves solely as anair-humidifying means, it being understood that some water vapor isprovided with the fumes of any additional vaporizable material in thecharge M when water comprises part of the charge, and that theevaporation temperature for a material other than Water would besomewhat less than the boiling point of water.

Vapors and/or fumes generated in the space 13 may be discharged byconvection directly into the atmosphere in a stream discharging axiallyof the discharge opening 16, the action being materially aided by thepermitted inflow of air through the hole 18 in the unit top wall 15.When the tube 19 is connected to the collar 17, the discharge of fumesfrom the unit may be effected from the placed tube nozzle 19", anapplication of particular interest being the provision of a medicamentinhalant in a nostril or the mouth of a person who would draw the fumesinto the head by inhalation; in such a use of the vaporizer, the hole 18provides for the maintenance of atmospheric pressure behind the streamof vapors flowing through the tube 19. It will be under stood, however,that fumes having medicament as Well as other qualities might beprovided in a room space by the unit without use of the tube 19. Also,if a pressure discharge of fumes is desired, it is merely necessary toclose the hole 18 in any suitable manner.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, the advantages of the present lamp-heated vaporizer will bereadily understood by those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains. While I have herein described and shown the structure andprovision and use of a form of my invention which is now considered tocomprise a preferred embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understoodthat the present disclosure is primarily illustrative, and that suchchanges and developments may be made, when desired, as fall within thescope of the following claims.

I claim:

I. A vaporizer unit for mounting on a conventional electric lamp bulbdisposed with its rounded incandescent end portion uppermost, comprisinga tubular side wall of generally uniform cylindrical outline, apartition intermediately and sealedly dividing the space within the sideWall to define an upwardly-opening container for volatile material and adownwardly-opening lower space portion for closely receiving the roundedincandescent end portion of the bulb in unit-supporting engagement withthe partition while laterally shading the bulb portion therein andmaintaining a substantially upright position of the unit, a top closurewall for the container portion provided centrally thereof with anopening arranged for an upward discharge thereat of a vapor stream fromthe heated material in the container and provided adjacent an edgethereof with a relatively small vent opening, said wall being providedat said discharge opening therein with an upstanding collar arranged forits frictionally engaged attachment Within one end of a flexible tubethereat, and a flexible tube engaged by said collar and providing avariably directed delivery of the vapor stream from the other tube end.

2. A vaporizer unit for mounting on a conventional electric lamp bulbdisposed with its rounded incandescent end portion uppermost, comprisinga container element for carrying a charge of volatile material forevaporation by heating, a base element fixedly carrying the containerelement and providing a downwardly-opening space for fully and closelyand supportedly receiving the rounded incandescent end portion of thebulb in unit-supporting engagement therewith while laterally shading thebulb portion therein and maintaining an upright position of the unit, atop closure wall for the container element provided centrally thereofwith an opening arranged for a discharge thereat of a vapor stream fromthe heated material in the container and povided adjacent an edgethereof with a relatively small vent opening, said wall being providedat said discharge opening therein with an upstanding collar arranged forthe attachment of a flexible tube thereat, and a flexible tube having anend thereof attached to said collar and providing a directed suctiondischarge of the vapor stream from the other tube end.

3. In a vaporizer unit for mounting on a conventional electric lamp bulbsupported with its rounded end uppermost, a base element having atubular side wall and an upper end wall cooperatively providing adownwardlyopening space of circular cross-section closely receiving thelamp bulb in supporting and heat-exchanging engagement with its upperend wall while effecting a lateral shading of the bulb portion thereinand maintaining a substantially upright position of the base element onthe lamp bulb, a cylindrical and generally closed container for avaporizable material having a tubular side wall of substantially thesame external diameter as the side wall of the base element and havingthe under side of its bottom and the upper side of the top wall of thebase element complementarily and coaxi'ally fitted and mutually fixed inheat exchange relation, the container top being provided with a centralvapor discharge opening at an upstanding collar arranged for theattachment of a flexible tube thereat, a flexible tube attached to saidcollar for providing a directed discharge of the generated vapor fromthe other container and, said container top being further provided witha vent opening spaced from the collar and arranged for its closingwhereby the suction and pressure discharge of vapors from the containerand through the tube are arranged to be respectively effected when thevent opening is open and closed.

4. A vaporizer unit for mounting on a conventional electric lamp bulbsupported with its rounded end uppermost, comprising a ceramic baseelement having a relatively thick tubular side wall and an upper endwall co-' operatively providing a downwardly-opening space of circularcross-section closely receiving the lamp bulb in supporting andheat-exchanging engagement with its upper end wall while eifecting alateral heat and light shading of the bulb portion therein andmaintaining a substantially upright position of the base element on thelamp bulb, a cylindrical ceramic and generally closed container for avaporizable material having a tubular and relatively thick side wall ofsubstantially the same external diameter as the side wall of the baseelement and having the under side of its bottom in complementarilyfitted opposition to the upper side of the top wall of the base elementin heat exchange relation thereto with the base and container elementscoaxially related, the container top being provided with a central vapordischarge opening at an upstanding collar arranged for the attachment ofa flexible tube thereat, a flexible tube attached to said collar forproviding a directed discharge of the generated vapor from thecontainer, and means cooperative solely at and between the mutuallyopposed top face of the base element and the bottom face of thecontainer integrally securing the containers in unitary relation.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS697,825 Fisk Apr. 15, 1902 736,111 Kautz Aug. 11, 1903 1,144,508 TaylorJune 29, 1915 1,539,485 Hodlick May 26, 1925 1,940,920 Robinson Dec. 26,1933 1,960,098 Breitenbach May 22, 1934 2,045,903 Fortin June 30, 19362,143,246 McGary Jan. 10, 1939 2,372,371 Eisner Mar. 27, 1945 2,449,853Karp Sept. 21, 1948

